Attorney General Pam Bondi’s combative exchange with lawmakers may have carried consequences far beyond Capitol Hill, according to media executive Joanna Coles.
Writing Thursday, Coles — Chief Creative and Content Officer of The Daily Beast — argued that Bondi’s sharp-edged performance during a high-pressure hearing appeared carefully calibrated for a single viewer: President Donald Trump.
But rather than scoring points, Coles suggested the strategy may have misfired.
"Because these hearings, like so much political theater now, are staged for an audience of one: the great and powerful Donald Trump.
"So while Bondi thought she was playing the role of loyal defender, her sneering responses and burn book takedowns turned her into something else: the Angry Woman.
"And that is not something her boss would order from Central Casting," Coles wrote.
High-Stakes Hearing Over DOJ Conduct and Epstein Files
Bondi faced intense scrutiny as she fielded questions about the Department of Justice’s handling of matters tied to the Epstein files and the treatment of survivors.
Under mounting pressure, she responded forcefully — at times raising her voice and trading barbs with lawmakers.
Coles framed Bondi’s approach as a risky departure from what Trump has historically signaled he prefers from women in his orbit.
"Yet Trump has made something else equally clear over the years: he does not like 'angry women,'” Coles explained.
The hearing featured moments of yelling, insults, and name-calling — a tone Coles contrasted with the demeanor of women Trump has publicly admired.
She noted that “his preference has always skewed toward the ornamental: Melania Trump, serene and sphinx-like; Ivanka Trump, polished and now conspicuously silent in his second administration.”
Trump’s Public Remarks on Women’s Demeanor
Coles pointed to past instances in which Trump has criticized women who do not present themselves in a manner he approves of.
She referenced his complaints about CNN’s Kaitlin Collins not smiling in his presence and his description of Hillary Clinton as a “nasty woman.”
"Trump prefers women who smile. Women who glide. Women who understand that in Trump’s court, volume control is permitted, but only if it belongs to him," Coles wrote.
According to Coles, behavior that strays from that model — particularly when it comes from a woman — is unlikely to be well received.
In her analysis, Coles emphasized what she described as Trump’s preference for dominance and control, especially in public settings.
"Trump likes dominance," Coles wrote.
"He likes control. He likes television moments in which he is the axis and others orbit smoothly around him.
"What he does not enjoy is watching subordinates seize the emotional spotlight or, worse, look as though they might combust on live television."
Coles further suggested that Trump may interpret visible anger from a woman as “dangerous currency,” potentially reading such reactions as instability — a trait she characterized as politically lethal.
“'You’re fired' has always been more about mood than merit. It’s possible that Bondi’s ugly performance could be her last. And if it is, it’s her own fault. The fix was obvious. If only she had smiled more," Coles wrote.